Sac State received a 5,125 grant to purchase a nuclear magnetic spectrometer to study potential anti-viral and anti-tumor agents.

The National Science Foundation awarded a $655,125 grant to Sacramento State to purchase high-tech equipment to research the structure of molecules. The grant, awarded July 29,was funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The proposal for a 500 MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometer and an autosampler for the existing 300 MHz spectrometer was submitted in January by chemistry Professor Katherine McReynolds with assistance from chemistry professors Cynthia Kellen-Yuen, Claudia Lucero, James Miranda and John Spence. Additional support for the grant came from the Sacramento State Office of Research Administration.

The NMR spectrometer uses a magnetic field that helps identify substances and characterize specific arrangements of atoms within molecules. It is one of the most powerful tools available to chemists, says McReynolds.

“This spectrometer will allow faculty and students to determine structural information about potential anti-viral and anti-tumor agents,” she says. “The information garnered from that research could help scientists develop drugs to combat viruses and cancer.” The spectrometer will also promote research into “green chemistry,” designed to use fewer toxic materials and be less hazardous to human health and the environment, as well as provide structural insights into biologically active compounds found in nature.

The school’s 300 MHz spectrometer is nearly seven years old, says McReynolds, and has limited capabilities. “The new one will provide greater structural information, particularly for large or complex molecules, not possible with the smaller 300 MHz NMR.”

The new spectrometer is expected to be installed in Sequoia Hallby February.